


Touch-Starved Indrid

by tikkikwami



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone: Amnesty (Podcast)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, M/M, Skin Hunger, Touch Deprivation, Trans Duck Newton, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 14:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18802543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tikkikwami/pseuds/tikkikwami
Summary: Indrid didn't realize how badly he needed cuddles until he got some.





	Touch-Starved Indrid

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the Indruck server for helping me figure this out, and shout out to psychology research on skin hunger!

At first the hunger for contact wasn’t too noticeable. Spending time with Duck was fun and rewarding in itself. The man made him laugh, and he was always interested in what he had to say. He made life interesting and Indrid couldn’t get enough of it.

But every time their hands brushed, or Duck put his hand on Indrid’s shoulder, the sylph just yearned more for _touching_. It had been decades since he last actually snuggled with somebody and now he wanted to so badly it _hurt_. He wasn’t even sure why. He had been so long without contact, so why did he need it like air now, of all times?

Some people’s fantasies were dirty. Indrid’s fantasies were mostly just of him holding hands with Duck and giving him hugs.

*  
***  
*

At the moment, Indrid was zoned out. Duck hadn’t said anything for awhile and he’d sunken into his own thoughts. He wondered what the ranger would say if he asked to cuddle - if he’d be disturbed, or just maybe, if he’d glad to say ‘yes.’

“Hey,” Duck said. “Indrid, are you okay?” 

He looked up from where he was staring at his hand, where it was laying on the sofa cushion between the human and the sylph. “Um, I suppose so?” He was embarrassed at having been caught thinking about cuddling with Duck. 

“Now this might be me oversteppin’ my bounds, so lemme know if I need to back off, but somethin’ tells me you could use a hug.” Indrid was caught off guard. How could he know that? “I don’t mean to presume, but I notice the way you react when y’get touched, an’ I know it’s gotta have been a long fuckin’ time since you last had regular contact.” 

Silently, Indrid nodded. Shyness made it hard to speak, and he wouldn’t meet Duck’s eyes. 

Duck started talking again. “You don’t have-”

“-to say yes,” Indrid finished for him. “But… I’d like to.” His heart was pounding as he saw Duck open his arms, waiting for the sylph to return the hug. Hesitantly, he scooted closer to the human on the couch and leaned into his arms.

The wave of relief he felt brought tears prickling to his eyes, and he wrapped his arms around Duck tightly, burying his face in the ranger’s neck. He started purring, a broken and hoarse purr from it having been _so long_ since he’d last done so.

There was silence. “Is that…?” Duck asked tentatively. “Are you purring?” 

“Yes,’’ Indrid mumbled. He wasn’t sure he could face Duck right now, blushing from embarrassment at purring in front of a human. And nearly crying from how overwhelming the pleasant touch was. 

“D’you want me to hold you?” Duck asked quietly, and after a moment, Indrid nodded. He regrettably had to stand up and leave the man’s arms so Duck could lay back on the couch, but then Indrid carefully crawled onto the sofa and inserted himself between the back cushions and the ranger. He let out a slow, shaky breath as he felt Duck’s strong arms wrap around him again. “You’re okay,” he murmured against the crown of Indrid’s head. “I’ve got you.”

After a few slow, deep breaths, Indrid felt he could talk without giving away the strength of his emotions. “How did you know?” he asked quietly, his voice rumbly with purrs.

Duck was quiet for a moment. “There’s a thing in psychology called ‘skin hunger,’” he explained. “It’s the human need for social touch, an’ people can get real fucked up without it. Now I dunno much about moth people, but you’ve spent so long in a human disguise that y’gotta have some kinda human-like needs, right?” 

Silently, Indrid nodded again. He supposed it was true. It made sense, anyway. And as he thought about it, he realized it was definitely a thing for moth people, too, the loneliness that comes from a lack of pleasant touch. “It seems I have some skin hunger, then.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Duck said, rubbing his back. He purred louder at the extra contact. The huge hole in his heart was starting to be filled as tension left his body. This is what he so desperately needed. He heard his purrs getting more choppy as he got closer to tears. “‘S okay to react however y’need to, honey,” Duck told him, his voice gentle and quiet.

The little pet name soothed him. Duck had never called him that before, but it felt right. “I’m okay,” he insisted, his voice tight as he struggled not to cry. The ranger wordlessly stroked the back of his head, leaning his cheek against the top of Indrid’s head, holding him close. Indrid found himself trembling with the effort to not cry, and failed. He felt wetness on his cheeks already. “Sorry,” he choked out. “I’m- yeah.” 

“It’s okay,” Duck soothed him, giving him a little squeeze in the hug. “I got a li’l skin hunger myself. Figured we could help each other out a bit.” Indrid nodded quietly. “An’ it just seemed like it was botherin’ you a lot if y’reacted to li’l touches like they were the best fuckin’ thing ever.” He made a little noise of distress to show his shyness. “Nah, I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. I jus’ meant you shouldn’t have to live like that. Y’deserve hugs an’ shit.”

Indrid sniffled. “Thanks,” he whispered. Then, “Sorry about your shirt.” It was covered in tears from where the sylph’s head was resting.

“Don’t you worry ‘bout that,” the human hummed. “This’s more important than a fuckin’ shirt.” 

“Can we stay like this awhile?” Indrid felt like his soul was being soothed, cradled in Duck’s hands like a baby bird. He didn’t want it to end any time soon.

“‘Course we can,” Duck told him, rubbing his back. 

And they did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
